Sportswriter Drew Ellis examines the rivalry between Michigan State and U-of-Michigan. Impartial to both, he will judge who is a step ahead or behind both on the football field and on the basketball court. Join in on the debate and follow him on Twitter @ellisdrew

Saturday, September 14, 2013

I was at Spartan Stadium on Saturday and saw the Michigan
State scoring outburst in person.

It was a good showing for Michigan State, and a
much-needed breakout performance for its offense.

I wrote a column on the importance of Saturday’s
performance for the offense and quarterback Connor Cook.

It’s easy to say Cook was the reason that Michigan State
put up 55 points, but the performance was a collective improvement by all
parts.

Receivers caught the tough passes and got separation from
the defenders. The offensive line provided protection and created running
lanes. Ball carries found open space and made tacklers miss. The quarterbacks
didn’t turn the ball over. It all came together for the offense.

Now, the real question is, can Michigan State repeat its
performance going forward?

If Michigan State is going to do anything this season, it
will need Saturday’s offense to show up more often than not. The MSU defense is
always going to give the Spartans a chance to win, but the offense will have to
score some points from time-to-time.

Michigan State likely won’t play a defense as bad as
Youngstown State’s for the rest of the season, but that doesn’t mean we should
look past what the Spartans did on Saturday. It was a step in the right
direction and it gave the Spartans some clarity about the quarterback position
going forward.

Connor Cook is the guy, and the Spartans are going to win
or lose with him under center.

Next week’s game at Notre Dame should give a clearer
picture if Michigan State really has solved some of its issues on offense.

I think most of us expected a letdown from Michigan on
Saturday, but we couldn’t have expected what we got.

The Wolverines didn’t just have a letdown, they were fortunate
to get a win at home over AKRON!

The Zips should have won that game. They arguably were
the better team on Saturday in the 28-24 loss to the Wolverines at the Big
House.

If it wasn’t for a pair of missed field goals, an INT in
the end zone and a terrible play call on 3rd and goal from the 1,
the Zips would have won the game somewhat comfortably.

All the good that came from Michigan’s 2-0 start was
essentially wiped away in Saturday’s win.

Devin Garnder, though he had not been perfect, had won
over Michigan fans everywhere as “the guy.” On Saturday, Gardner looked lost
and, even worse, was a turnover machine.

Gardner led Michigan to a win over Notre Dame. On
Saturday, the Wolverines won in spite of him.

Gardner wasn’t the only problem, however.

The offensive line didn’t do much in the run game. Sure,
Michigan had 185 rushing yards, but 112 of that came from Gardner. The
Wolverines need to find a consistent running game with its collection of backs,
especially with Big Ten play on the horizon.

Michigan’s defense has to be a concern as well. The
Wolverines gave up 417 yards to an Akron team that averaged 303 yards per game
after playing juggernauts like Central Florida and James Madison.

A letdown would have been an ugly 17-point win over the
Zips. This was much more than that. This was concerning if you are a Wolverine
fan. This had to put doubt, not only in the minds of Michigan fans, but in the
minds of the players as well. Suddenly, next week’s game at Connecticut doesn’t
look as appealing as it did a week ago.

Michigan still has a good football team, but it needs to
progress, not regress. Devin Gardner is still a talented quarterback, but he
has to learn from his mistakes.

Next week’s game will tell a lot about where this team is
heading as it begins Big Ten play. If the Wolverines come out on the road and
put a beating on the Huskies, then they got the message from Saturday’s mess.
If the game is another nail-biter, it could be another disappointing season.

Friday, September 13, 2013

This should be a sizable win for Michigan at home. Coming
off the emotional win against Notre Dame, the Wolverines could use a game like
this, where it can afford to make some mistakes and still win. I don’t know that
Michigan will look real crisp, as they could be looking past Akron, but the
Wolverines should still win with ease. The Zips haven’t shown much ability to
stop weaker offenses than Michigan, so look for Devin Gardner to put up
impressive numbers. Michigan also should be able to work in a lot of running
back options and the defense should hold Akron in check.

Michigan 41, Akron
6

Youngstown State
at Michigan State, 2PM ET

MSU could spice this game up by having head coach Mark
Dantonio spin a wheel prior to each offensive possession to determine which of
the four quarterback options will take the field. The crowd would at least be
on the edge of its seat for that. Youngstown State isn’t a bad FCS program and
the Spartans would be foolish to come into this game overconfident for any
reason, given its extreme offensive struggles. The Spartans need to find their
offensive identity in this game, because it can’t go into the rest of the
schedule not knowing who their quarterback is. I expect the MSU defense to
continue to be impressive, but you can’t expect two more touchdowns this week.
This one will be on the offense, and the unit better answer the call. If it can’t
score against Youngstown State, just who are the Spartans going to score
against?

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

The real news is that heading into the third week of the
season, the Spartans still don’t have a defined quarterback. In fact, Michigan
State has four quarterbacks in the mix.

Andrew Maxwell – Maxwell
is the one with all the experience (he’s a fifth-year senior) and is currently
leading the team in passing yards (114), completion percentage (50 percent) and
completions (15). Maxwell struggled throughout last season, going 234 of 446
passing for 2,606 yards and 13 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Maxwell has
been notorious for throwing short of the sticks on third down and shows little
mobility in the pocket. He has been most impacted by the drops of the
receivers, but that could be due to the ball he throws.

Connor Cook – Cook,
a sophomore, was given the opportunity to win the job last week against South
Florida but he went just 6 of 11 passing for 32 yards. He also rushed for 10
yards on nine carries. There seems to be a belief among the coaching staff that
he is the best man for the job, as he will be getting most of the reps with the
first team in practice this week. Cook has the mobility that Maxwell doesn’t,
but there has been no proof that he can consistently lead the MSU offense down
the field. He is just 12 of 27 passing for the season for 74 yards.

Tyler O’Connor – The
redshirt freshman got an opportunity last week against South Florida, but he
apparently blew that chance with a questionable pass attempt in the red zone. O’Connor
did lead MSU down the field and setup the Spartans for a field goal, which
happened to be missed. However, a throw into triple coverage in the end zone
frustrated the coaching staff and earned him the bench for the rest of the game
and possibly the season. It seemed like a quick hook for O’Connor. While his
throw was poor and was lucky not to be a turnover, he’s also a freshman that is
going to make some mistakes. If anything, MSU is hurting his development by
making him think he will get the hook if he ever makes a mistake.

Damion Terry – The
true freshman out of Erie, Pa. appears set to make his MSU debut this week. He
has been getting No. 2 reps during practice this week and likely would have
been given a chance last week if not for an illness keeping him from
practicing. The fan base seems to want to see what Terry can do, but just how
much leeway would he be given when he steps on the field? Would he be pulled if
he makes one questionable throw or fumbles the ball? Certainly a true freshman
has to be expected to make some mistakes along the way.

No matter what Michigan State does going forward, it has
to make a decision after this week’s game with Youngstown State. Notre Dame is
on the horizon and then Big Ten play starts. You can’t go into these important
games still playing up to four quarterbacks.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Michigan got a big win at home Saturday night and Devin
Gardner got a marquee win as starting quarterback of the Wolverines under his
belt.

He almost let the game get away from him, but composed
himself and helped lead the offense to finish the job in the fourth quarter.

There is reason for optimism at Michigan. It is now 2-0
and looking at a schedule that should allow the Wolverines to be 7-0 heading
into the home stretch of the season.

The offense was great, racking up 460 yards of offense on
Notre Dame. The Wolverines consistently moved the ball down the field and Devin
Gardner took a step forward as a quarterback while Jeremy Gallon further
improved his status as a playmaker.

Gardner finished with 294 yards and four touchdowns on 21
of 33 passing while rushing for 82 yards on 13 carries and a score. Gardner
also overcame a bad situation in the game. Up 14 in the third quarter, he made
a poor decision by trying to extend a play when it wasn’t necessary. He could
have taken a sack and the game would have been in Michigan’s control, but
instead he ran backwards into the end zone. From there, instead of take the
safety that was inevitable, he tried to heave the ball away while being hit,
but it ended up being caught by the Irish in the end zone for a touchdown,
completely changing the complexion of the game.

Had Notre Dame went on to win and Gardner folded from
that point forward, it could have changed the whole dynamic of the season and
his career. Instead, he bounced back and threw another touchdown pass in the
fourth quarter.

Gallon had a tremendous game, catching eight passes for
184 yards. He made play after play for Gardner. Some were ad-libbed, and some were
not. He is clearly establishing himself as a top receiver in the Big Ten.

Where Michigan can be somewhat concerned is on defense.
The Wolverines gave up 410 yards to Notre Dame, including 314 passing yards.
Michigan had plenty of chances to keep Notre Dame from staying in this game,
but the defense just couldn’t get the stops.

Michigan isn’t going to face any powerful offenses for at
least a month, so the Wolverines have time to fix the problems, but Michigan
will certainly face better offenses than Notre Dame as the season progresses.
The Wolverines found themselves getting pushed around up front later in the
contest. It could have been fatigue, but it’s something that will have to be
addressed.

All-in-all, it was a good night for Michigan and a big
win on national television.

Michigan and Michigan State are both 2-0, but both fan
bases have to feel drastically different about the state of their current
teams.

There isn’t much for me to say other than what I said in my
column for The Oakland Press.

Michigan State has an outstanding defense. It is a
defense that is capable of winning championships.

Only problem is, that defense is attached to an awful
offense.

Sure, it is only the second game of the season, but the
problems the MSU offense has had thus far are nearly identical to the problems
it had last season. Not to mention that the Spartans have faced to below
average defenses and not been able to score. What is MSU going to do when it
starts facing a defense that can actually play defense?

Mark Dantonio seems a little desperate. He is trying any
combo of quarterbacks, receivers and running backs he can to get the formula
right. The only problem is, it seems to be getting Michigan State further from
finding the answer.

If Michigan State ultimately has a mediocre season, it
will really be kicking itself. These past two seasons, Michigan State has had a
defense that was one of the best in the nation. To not be able to accomplish
more would be a shame. It’s not often a program is able to have a defense that
can truly be dominant, but MSU has something very close to that. If the
Spartans could just develop a mildly consistent offense, it could find itself
going to Pasadena for the first time in a long time.

However, I don’t hold out much faith that that will
happen. The MSU quarterbacks, receivers and offensive line don’t appear to be
up to the task of taking Michigan State to the top of the Big Ten.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Despite the offensive struggles Michigan State had last
weekend, the defense still looked very strong. Now the Spartans face a South
Florida team that had just 342 yards of offense against McNeese State while
allowing 424 total yards to the Cowboys. If Michigan State can’t consistently
move the ball against the Bulls on Saturday afternoon, then there should be
some real concerns about the MSU offense. I expect the Spartan defense to make
some big plays early on, maybe even score a touchdown, and allow the offense to
play with less pressure. No matter who is under center for MSU, they should be
able to lead the offense to multiple scores.

Michigan State 34,
South Florida 13

Notre Dame at
Michigan

The Fighting Irish and Brian Kelly have given Michigan
every reason to be pumped up for this game. Kelly gave the Wolverines the
bulletin board material by saying Michigan wasn’t a “historic” rival for the
Fighting Irish. Brady Hoke has probably been beating his players over the head
with that. Adding to it all is the fact that this game is on national
television and under the lights at the Big House. The crowd should be electric
and carry Michigan to a strong start. If Devin Gardner can avoid turnovers,
Michigan should be able to win this game. The Wolverines’ defense will be able
to apply pressure to Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees. From there, it will be
up to Rees to make good decisions, which I don’t think he will. With an early
lead, the Michigan offense can control the ball and have steady drives on the ground
and through the air. I don’t think the Wolverines will run away with this one,
but I do think they will lead for nearly all of the game.

Monday, September 2, 2013

The first week of the college football season is closing
today and the second week is nearing. Here is a look at the odds for Michigan
and Michigan State this week.

Michigan State –18.5
vs. South Florida

The Spartans remain in East Lansing to host South Florida
this upcoming Saturday. Michigan State is coming off its 26-13 win over Western
Michigan where the offense struggled and the defense looked strong. South
Florida, on the other hand, looked awful, as the Bulls were hammered at home by
McNeese State, 53-21. The Bulls gave up 424 yards of offense to McNeese State
while amassing just 342 yards. One would think that the Spartans will be able
to move the ball better against the Bulls and South Florida should struggle to
move the ball against the MSU defense. The 18.5-point spread wouldn’t be much
for MSU to cover, but the offense didn’t give us much faith that it can put up
points.

Michigan -3 vs.
Notre Dame

Michigan looked good in its 59-9 win over Central
Michigan, but the Wolverines can play better. Notre Dame had a 28-6 win over
Temple at home on Saturday in which the Fighting Irish amassed 543 yards of
offense. Notre Dame gave up 362 yards of offense to Temple, so there is a sense
that Michigan can move the ball against the Irish. The question will be can
Devin Gardner make the key throws and avoid turnovers? Turnovers destroyed
Michigan’s chances of beating Notre Dame last season and could tell the tale of
this game. The Michigan defense will be tested by Notre Dame’s offense, but don’t
look for the Irish to pile up 500 yards against the Wolverines. As the spread
indicates, this should be a close game.

About Me

I work for The Oakland Press as a sports writer and copy editor. I cover college football along with some prep sports. I spent six years covering Central Michigan University football, men's basketball, and baseball for The Morning Sun in Mt. Pleasant.